Personal life edit

Personality edit

Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who was Kim Jong-il's personal cook, described Kim Jong-un as "a chip off the old block, a spitting image of his father in terms of face, body shape, and personality".[1] He said Jong-un was a big fan of The Beatles and Jean-Claude Van Damme.[citation needed] Kim is said to be a fan of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.[2][3]

In 2012, Business Insider reported that there were "[s]igns of a rise in luxury goods ... creeping out of North Korea since Kim Jong-un took over" and that his "wife Ri Sol-ju (리설주) was photographed holding what appeared to be an expensive Dior handbag, worth almost $1,594 – an average year's salary in North Korea".[4] According to diplomatic sources, "Kim Jong-un likes to drink and party all night like his father and ordered the [imported sauna] equipment to help him beat hangovers and fatigue."[5]

On 26 February 2013, Kim Jong‑un met Dennis Rodman,[6] which led many reporters to speculate that Rodman was the first American that Kim had met.[7] During Rodman's trip, Vice magazine correspondent Ryan Duffy said that "the leader was 'socially awkward' and didn't make eye contact when shaking hands,"[8] though extended eye contact and firm handshakes are generally less common in East Asian cultures.

According to Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute, Kim Jong-un has greater visible interest in the welfare of his people and engages in greater interaction with them than his father did.[9]

South Koreans who saw Kim at the summit in April 2018 described him as straightforward, humorous, and attentive.[10] After meeting him, Donald Trump said, "I learned he was a talented man. I also learned he loves his country very much." He added that Kim had a "great personality" and was "very smart".[11]

Public image edit

Forbes magazine ranked Kim as the 36th most powerful person in the world in 2018 and the highest amongst Koreans.[12]

According to a research done by the Korean Research Center done in May 2018, 78% of respondents to a South Korean poll say they trusted Kim.[13]

Wealth edit

Kim is said to have 17 luxury palaces around North Korea, a fleet of 100, mostly European, luxury cars, a private jet and a 100-foot (30 m) yacht.[14] Rodman described his trip to Kim Jong-un's private island: "It's like Hawaii or Ibiza, but he's the only one that lives there."[15]

Health edit

In 2009, reports suggested that Kim Jong-un was a diabetic and suffered from hypertension.[16][17] He is also known to smoke cigarettes.[18]

Kim Jong-un did not appear in public for six weeks in September and October 2014. State media reported that he was suffering from an "uncomfortable physical condition". Previously he had been seen limping.[19] When he reappeared, he was using a walking stick.[20]

In September 2015, the South Korean government commented that Kim appeared to have gained 30 kg in body fat over the previous five years, reaching a total estimated body weight of 130 kg (290 lb).[21]

In April 2020, another period of absence from public appearances led to speculation around Kim's health.[22] Kim had been absent on the Day of the Sun, 15 April, celebrating the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, though had been last seen four days prior at a government meeting.[23] Daily NK reported that Kim had gone to a hospital for a cardiovascular surgery on 12 April, but according to CNN reporting from U.S. agencies monitoring intelligence from North Korea, by 21 April Kim's state was in "grave danger" from the surgery.[24] South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported in response to these stories that there were "no unusual signs detected" in regards to Kim's health.[25] Reuters reported that China had sent a team of doctors on 25 April to North Korea to monitor Kim's condition.[26] South Korea's foreign policy advisor Moon Chung-in issued a statement on 26 April that "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected."[27]

Family edit

 
Kim (holding envelope) with Chung Eui-yong. Kim's sister Kim Yo-jong (on the right) is said to be very close to him

On 25 July 2012, North Korean state media reported for the first time that Kim Jong-un is married to Ri Sol-ju.[28][29] Ri, who was believed to be in her early 20s, had been accompanying Kim Jong-un to public appearances for several weeks prior to the announcement.[29] According to a South Korean analyst, Kim Jong-il had hastily arranged the marriage after suffering a stroke in 2008, the two married in 2009, and they had a child in 2010.[30] Dennis Rodman, after visiting in 2013, reported that they had a daughter named Ju-ae.[31][32] However, South Korean sources speculated that they could have many children.[33]

Kim is sometimes accompanied by his younger sister Kim Yo-jong,[34][35] who is said to be instrumental in creating his public image and organising public events for him.[36] According to Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, and others, the promotion of Kim Yo-jong and others is a sign that "the Kim Jong-un regime has ended its co-existence with the remnants of the previous Kim Jong-il regime by carrying out a generational replacement in the party's key elite posts".[37]

On 13 February 2017, Kim Jong-nam, the exiled half-brother of Kim Jong-un, was assassinated with the nerve agent VX while walking through Terminal 2 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.[38] Jong-un is widely believed to have ordered the assassination.[39][40]

  1. ^ McCurry, Justin (19 December 2011). "Kim Jong‑un, 'great successor' poised to lead North Korea". The Guardian. London, UK. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Kim Jong Un wanted 'famous' US basketball players as part of denuclearization deal: Sources". ABC News. 9 May 2019.
  3. ^ "How Did Kim Jong Un Become North Korea's Leader? 20 Little Known Facts About World's Youngest Leader". International Business Times. 20 February 2017.
  4. ^ Taylor, Adam (5 October 2012). "Kim Jong-un Has Massively Increased The Import of Luxury Goods into North Korea". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Kim Jong-un Inherits Father's Taste for Bling". The Chosun Ilbo. 22 August 2012.
  6. ^ Dennis Rodman: North Korea's Kim Jong Un is an 'awesome guy,' and his father and grandfather were 'great leaders' Archived 4 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Daily News. 1 March 2013.
  7. ^ Joohee Cho (28 February 2013). "Rodman Worms His Way into Kim Jong Un Meeting". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2013.
  8. ^ Silverman, Justin Rocket (29 May 2013). "'Vice' season finale on HBO gives fresh look at Dennis Rodman's meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  9. ^ Song Sang-ho (27 June 2012). "N.K. leader seen moving toward economic reform". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  10. ^ "Kim Jong Un uncensored: 7 impressions gleaned from historic summit". Straits Times. 1 May 2018.
  11. ^ Reiss, Jaclyn (12 June 2018). "Five things President Trump said about Kim Jong Un and North Korea that have critics seething". Boston Globe.
  12. ^ "The World's Most Powerful People". Forbes. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Kim Jong Un Now Has An 80% Approval Rating... in South Korea". Time. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  14. ^ Arthur, Villasanta (23 May 2019). "Kim Jong Un Net Worth: How Is North Korea's Leader Spending His Billions?". International Business Times.
  15. ^ "Dennis Rodman: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a 'good-hearted kid'". The Guardian. London, UK. 2 November 2013. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016.
  16. ^ Lee, Jean H. (2 June 2009). "Kim Jong-un: North Korea's Kim Anoints Youngest Son As Heir". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  17. ^ Kim Jong-un (Kim Jong Woon) – Leadership Succession Archived 25 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Global Security.org. 3 July 2009
  18. ^ Luu, Chieu. "Kim Jong Un caught smoking during anti-smoking drive". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  19. ^ Justin McCurry and Enjoli Liston (26 September 2014). "North Korea admits to Kim Jong-un's ill-health for first time". The Guardian. London, UK. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017.
  20. ^ Fifield, Anna (13 October 2014). "North Korean media report that Kim Jong Un is back at work". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
    "North Korea says leader has reappeared". CNN. 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  21. ^ Kyodo News, "Kim has gained 30 kg, weighs 130 now: Seoul", Japan Times, 28 September 2015, p. 5
  22. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (26 April 2020). "Kim Jong-un's Absence and North Korea's Silence Keep Rumor Mill Churning". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  23. ^ Berlinger, Joshua; Seo, Yoonjung (15 April 2020). "On North Korea's most important holiday, Kim Jong Un was nowhere to be seen". CNN. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  24. ^ "US source: North Korean leader in grave danger after surgery". CNN. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ Koh, Byung-joon (21 April 2020). "No unusual signs about N.K. leader's health: government sources". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 21 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "Kim Jong-un: China sends doctors to check on health". Reuters. 25 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via The Guardian.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Ripley, Will; Kwon, Jake; Jeong, Sophie; John, Tara (26 April 2020). "Amid mounting speculation, South Korea says Kim Jong Un is 'alive and well'". CNN. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  28. ^ "North Korea leader Kim Jong-un married to Ri Sol-ju". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  29. ^ a b "North Korea leader Kim Jong Un projects new image by showing off wife". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  30. ^ "North Korea leader Kim Jong-un married to Ri Sol-ju". BBC. 25 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013. Ms Ri is believed to have married Mr Kim in 2009 and given birth to a child the following year, analyst Cheong Seong-chang told the South Korean Korea Times newspaper.
  31. ^ "Dennis Rodman lets the world know Kim Jong-un has a daughter". National Post. Associated Press. 19 March 2013. ISSN 1486-8008. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  32. ^ Walker, Peter (9 September 2013). "Dennis Rodman gives away name of Kim Jong‑un's daughter". The Guardian. London, UK. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015.
  33. ^ "Kim Jong-un 'Has a Little Daughter'". Chosun. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
    Kim Jong-un 'Has 2 Daughters' Archived 21 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Chosun.com, 16 May 2013.
  34. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lee2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  35. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kim Yo Jong was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  36. ^ Sherwell, Phillip (8 January 2017). "Sister helps Kim strut his stuff as key missile test looms". The Times. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  37. ^ McCurry, Justin (9 October 2017). "Meet Kim Yo-jong, the sister who is the brains behind Kim Jong-un's image". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  38. ^ "Kim Jong-nam killing: VX nerve agent 'found on his face'". BBC News. 24 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017.
  39. ^ DNA Confirms Assassination Victim Was Half Brother of Kim Jong-un, Malaysia Says New York Times. By Russell Goldman. 5 March 2017. Downloaded 6 May 2017.
  40. ^ Kim Jong-un risks vital ties with China Korea Times. By Jun Ji-hye. 16 February 2017. Downloaded 6 May 2017.